The Norwegian Institute of Public Health and colleagues looked into the use of folic acid supplements before and during early pregnancy, and any impact on the risk on the autism spectrum.

“Our main finding was that maternal use of folic acid supplements around the time of conception was associated with a lower risk of autistic disorder,” the authors wrote in the Journal of the American Medical Association.(list what date this article appeared )

In some countries, flour is recommended to be enriched with folic acid to lower the risk of birth defects. Women are often advised to take folic acid supplements before and during pregnancy.

Despite the practice, European and North American studies have found that many pregnant women take less folate in their diet than is required to prevent neural tube defects.

The Norwegian Institute of Public Health’s research appears to confirm that taking folic acid supplements is well-founded.

The 85,176 Norwegian children who took part in the study were born between 2002 and 2008.

Among the sample, 270 children, or 0.32 percent, were diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders, and researchers found that there was an inverse association between folic acid use and subsequent autism risks.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 1 in 88 children, or 1.14 percent, in the United States are identified with an autism spectrum disorder.

Mothers who took folic acid supplements in early pregnancy had a 40 percent lower risk of having children with autistic disorder compared with mothers who did not take folic acid, the researchers found.

Folic acid is found in naturally high levels in foods such as dark leafy greens, asparagus and broccoli, as well as citrus fruits. If you are looking to become pregnant, setting up an appointment at Healthy Woman OB/GYN is recommended to ensure that the appropriate levels of folic acid are incorporated into your diet.

If you would like more information on how nutrition can improve health feel free to contact our sister company Pop Weight Loss.

While there is no guarantee that these fun tricks will produce truthful results, it is a fun way to guess your little bundle of joys identity before the big reveal! Keep in mind, these tricks are strictly for fun – there is no medical evidence that these tricks produce actual results!

One great trick is all about position; if the baby is carried in the womb high, then it’s a girl! If the baby sits lower, then you might be having a little boy.

Next time you visit your OB/GYN, listen to baby’s heartbeat and ask her to tell you what the heart rate is. According to legend, 140+ beats per minute indicates a girl, and below 140 a boy.

Your cravings might just tell you what you are having. Ice cream and sweets might just say that a little girl is on her way, while salty foods could indicate it’s a boy.

The Chinese Birth Chart uses the age you conceived and the month of conception as an indicator of the gender of your baby. The internet offers several free or paid versions to try!

The Drano Method has become very popular in recent years. Using a urine sample and a tablespoon of Drano, a green after color means a girl while a blue color means boy.

Similar to the Chinese Birth Chart, legend has it that the Mayans determined a baby’s sex by looking at the mother’s age at conception and the year of conception. If both are even or odd, it’s a girl. If one’s even and one’s odd, it’s a boy.

Great method to use on a friend! Place a key in front of your expecting friend. If she grabs it by the narrow part, she’s in for sugar and spice. If she picks it up by the round part, it’s snips and snails.

If you’re breaking out like crazy, blame it on your little girl. The belief is that little girls steal their mother’s beauty, causing mom to break out!

Use your wedding ring as a tell tale sign. Tie your ring to a string and see which way it swings. If it swings in a circular motion, you are in for a little boy. If it swings back and forth, expect a little girl.

Cases of morning sickness have indicated that you are having a little girl, while little to no morning sickness could mean that you are having a boy.

One of the most dreaded pregnancy symptoms is nausea, also known as morning sickness. On the plus side, nausea is usually a sign that the mother’s body is producing an adequate amount of hormones. On the negative side, there’s the seemingly never-ending, inconvenient and sometimes dangerous nausea and vomiting that can make it difficult to keep anything down.

Nausea during pregnancy is most prevalent during the first trimester when hormone levels are rising.  The drop in nausea is directly related to a slowing production of certain pregnancy hormones.  When hormone levels stop climbing, the nausea stops for most women. Other women, however, experience nausea and vomiting throughout their entire pregnancy.

It is most important during this time to consume frequent small meals and try to avoid any foods that may trigger an attack.  It has been reported that for some women eating potato chips and drinking lemonade has helped to ease nausea symptoms. 

Besides being inconvenient, nausea and vomiting during pregnancy can sometimes be dangerous. Serious nausea and vomiting during pregnancy can result in a condition known as hyperemesis, the condition Kate Middleton was diagnosed with, which is typically diagnosed when a woman has lost at least 10% of her body weight because of nausea and vomiting. If you experience significant nausea and vomiting, you can become dehydrated and your electrolytes balance may become imbalanced – which can be dangerous for everyone. The usual treatment for this is a combination of anti-nausea medications and intravenous fluids to replace the fluids you have lost. You may need to be placed in the hospital temporarily for treatment or some women who have long-term hyperemesis may receive home health and complete IV therapies at home.

In addition, there are a number of ways to handle nausea during pregnancy. No one method works for every mother to be – some methods work better than others and some methods work for a while then stop. Keep trying to find something that works for you, and talk to your doctor if nausea and vomiting are becoming particularly problematic.

The old standard advice of saltine crackers and ginger ale is still valid, as the saltiness of the crackers helps to settle the stomach for some women, while some women find that potato chips work better. In addition, although ginger ale contains only minimal amounts of ginger, ginger has long been utilized to help ease a troublesome tummy. Some studies suggest that ingesting large amounts of ginger during pregnancy can cause problems, so you may want to be cautious. For some women, just the scent of ginger can be calming, as can the scent of fresh lemons.

If you are experiencing morning sickness, call your Healthy Woman physician and consult about at-home remedies and other options during your pregnancy.

Mood changes during pregnancy can be caused by physical stresses, fatigue, changes in your metabolism, or by the changing hormones in your body. Significant changes in your hormone levels can affect your level of neurotransmitters, which are brain chemicals that regulate mood. Mood swings are mostly experienced during the first trimester, around 6 to 10 weeks and then again in the third trimester as your body prepares for birth.

It is important to understand you are not alone; mood swings are just another aspect of the pregnancy experience. There are several steps that you can take to help manage your stress level and control your mood swings.

Be Active. Regular physical activity is a great way to maintain healthy mood change during pregnancy. Physical activity, such as walking or pregnancy yoga, will increase your energy and lower your stress levels.

Get Plenty of Rest. Being pregnant can be difficult, both physically and mentally. Taking a break from your everyday routine to relax, even for a few minutes, will help lower your stress levels and minimize mood swings. A nap is a great tool to use, especially if you have a hectic schedule. Getting plenty of sleep at night will rejuvenate you, and allow you to work through stressful situations with a clear mind throughout your day.

Enjoy your pregnancy! Don’t be too hard on yourself – this is a joyous time in your life, so enjoy it! Take time to go get a massage and relax. The more relaxed you are, the smoother your pregnancy will go.

Lately, we’ve been thinking about what makes us different from other groups? The answer: A whole lot. This realization sparked us to launch a new and groundbreaking program called OB VIP.

What is it and what can it mean for you?

OB VIP is an optional specialized program for our pregnant patients—and a big reason why our group is so different from the rest.

The program includes:

• Access to our prenatal coordinator Grace Kasnowski (also called our maternity concierge), who, along with our doctors and medical assistants, is here to help you every step of the way
• Full access to our website, which features blog posts ripe with need-to-know info, created just for you
• Daily social media support
• Weekly email support
• Access to our Pregnancy Connect program, which offers you entree to the best businesses, services and organizations for pregnant and new moms.
• Breastfeeding classes, in conjunction with BestforBabes.org, a celebrity and new mommy loved organization that is giving breastfeeding a makeover by removing the Booby Traps that stop women from achieving their own personal breastfeeding goals—whether those goals are for one day, one week or one year.
• Postpartum support
• And lots more!

The crowning jewel of program? A special 24-week prenatal visit to create your birth plan. All prenatal patients get a 24-week prenatal visit with myself or my husband to go through birth expectations and ensure that the experience can be just as she hopes it will be. Let’s face it: Having a baby is scary! There are also many options available to moms now. Whether you choose to get an epidural or go completely natural, it’s your choice—but making that decision—and many others involved in the birthing process—isn’t always so easy. We will talk to you about how you want your birth to be, give you the options and empower you with the information you need to make the best decisions for yourself.

We are here to support you—whatever your decisions.

We are your advocates.

And that means that we will be there for you on the big day too. You will always be delivered by one of our docs. This is a big deal. We have no laborists and many practices do. Almost every week in the office, I see a new pregnant patient who is changing doctors because she did not realize that someone she did not know (who was covering for her doctor) did her previous delivery.

So hopefully, if you are pregnant, you are already a Healthy Woman patient but if you are not, please make sure your questions are answered thoroughly and you feel supported by your practitioner.

We want you to get the VIP treatment during her most exciting, exhilarating and sometimes even exasperating time in her life. Why? Because you deserve it!

We’re here for you, so call us 732.431.1616.

The Physical Changes

You may find that you feel like giving all the contents in your stomach the old heave-ho as early as three or four weeks into your pregnancy. Morning sickness, as it’s known (even though it can happen at all times of the day), is likely caused by the body’s changing hormones and a pregnant woman’s heightened sense of smell. About 75 percent of women will experience nausea or vomiting during this trimester—and half will go through both. Other physical symptoms common during this time include tender, swollen breasts that may expand a cup size; an increased urge to pee; food cravings; heartburn; fatigue; and constipation. If none of this happens, though, don’t worry—the effects of pregnancy are different in everyone.

The Emotional Changes

Finding out you’re having a baby is big news, whether you were expecting it or not. With changing hormones and all the stress that comes with bringing a little one into the world, you can expect to go through a range of feelings—sometimes all in one day—from worried to jubilant to overwhelmed to ready for it all to be over. Remember that your partner is going through a whole set of emotions, too.

The Baby’s Changes

The process from fertilized egg to fully formed human is an amazing one, and a good portion of this happens during those first few months. Organs and muscles develop, hair follicles and nail beds form, white blood cells produce, arms and legs sprout, and the vocal cords that will let out that first cry come together. The best thing you can do to keep all this on track is to be as healthy as you can. Be sure to exercise; fill up on fruits, veggies and whole grains; and take your prenatal vitamins.

The Doctor’s Visits

You’ll likely have your first appointment between six and eight weeks, when you’ll have a thorough physical exam with pap smear and ultrasound and go over your medical history. Be prepared to give your doctor as much information as you can about your health and your family’s health. At this initial checkup, your doctor will establish your due date and do blood work, as well as discuss optional tests to screen for fetal abnormalities. Now’s the time to ask all those questions that have been racing through your brain—at Healthy Woman, we’ve heard them all before and want you to be armed with all the information you need to comfortably move into the next trimester and beyond.

For more on what to expect over the next 40 weeks, here is a detailed explanation of your prenatal care.